Typically, a toll plaza at the entrance to a tunnel or bridge is laid out with multiple toll booths. If so, each toll booth will service a separate lane, from which access to the bridge or tunnel is granted upon payment of a toll. In most cases, the number of toll lanes will significantly exceed the number of lanes available for travel across the bridge or through the tunnel. When traffic is heavy, the main area for “bottlenecks” causing significant traffic delays is between the toll booth and the bridge or tunnel, in an area that is generally referred to as a departure transition zone. Vehicles moving from the departure transition zone toward the bridge or tunnel are unable to merge smoothly if drivers erratically change speeds or aggressively change lanes. Instead, due to these improper driving techniques, drivers often block multiple lanes of traffic or cause accidents that result in further delays. Even without accidents, the theoretical capacity of the bridge or tunnel is significantly reduced because of the tremendous friction produced by the irregular flow of vehicles.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide systems and methods for metering the flow of traffic through a toll plaza that effectively maintains a steady flow of traffic through the departure transition zone as the number of same-way traffic lanes is significantly reduced. Another object of the present invention is to improve efficiency by increasing the volumetric flow rate of vehicles passing through the bridge or tunnel. A further object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for controlling vehicular traffic that is easy to implement, is simple to use, and is comparatively cost effective.